Sheet metal tablet box



June 20, 1944.

w. F. PUNTE SHEET METAL TABLET BOX Filed June 10, 1943 fig 5; Z

Patented June 20, 1944 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET METAL TABLET. Box William F. Punte, Passaic, N..I'.', assignorto c0..-- ir'tinental Can Company, Inc.-,-New=York, N. Y., acorporation of New Yorlt. p Application'June 10, 1943, Serial 0.190.360 (01.220-36l of the coverembrace'the side and end walls of 1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a sheet metal tablet box, and more particularly a tablet box which is adapted to be opened by pressure applied to the rear side of the cover portion.

An object of the invention is to provide a tablet box wherein the cover portion is secured to the bottom portion by a hinge pin which is connected at fixed points to the cover portion and the bottom portion, wherein the connections are so disposed that the hinge pin will yield to allow the rear portion of the cover to be depressed relative to the bottom portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tablet box of the above type wherein the side walls of the cover portion are equipped with lugs adapted to engage the upper edges of the side walls of the bottom portion, which lugs are so disposed as to serve as fulcrums so that when the rear portion of the cover is depressed the front portion will be raised.

In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a rear end view of a tablet box embodying the improvements with the cover in closed position.

Figure 2 is a view showing the rear portion of the cover depressed and the front portion raised.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the container with the parts positioned as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the rear wall of the bottom portion and showing the housing for the hinge pin,

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view through the rear wall of the cover portion only on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view through the rear wall of the cover portion on the line 'I-Iof Figure l and showing the hinge pin connected to the cover.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Figure 3.

The improved tablet box includes a bottom portion I having side walls 2, 2, a front end wall 3 and a rear end wall 4. The box is shown as substantially rectangular and is preferably of a depth to hold one layer only of tablets. It may, however, be used for other purposes than for storing tablets. The box also includes a coverportion 5 having side walls 6, 6, a front end wall I and a rear end wall 8. When the cover is in closed position, as shown in Figure l, the walls the bottom portion. The side walls of the cover are provided with inwardly extending lugs 9, 9, and l0, l0. These lugs, as shown in Figure 8, are formed by inwardly bending the side wall of the cover, and said lugs are so disposed that when the cover is in closed position, as shown in Figure 1, these lugs will contact with the upper end of the bottom portion of the box.

The front wall of the cover has an outwardly projecting detent l l and the front wall of the box has an outwardly projecting detent l2 which when the cover is in closed position will spring into the recess formed on the inner face of the front wall by the detent II. This serves as a shaping means for holding the cover in closed position. The rear end wall of the cover is cut away at each side thereof, as indicated at I3, 13. The part of the cover wall between the cut-away portions I3, I3 is downwardly extended and for a portion of its length is curled upwardly into a U-shaped pocket, as indicated at M in Figure 6 of the drawing.

At the center portion of the extension, the end wall is further extended and is rolled into a hollow bead l5, which is adapted to receive the hinge pin. As shown in Figure 1, the hinge pin lies in the pocket M of the extension and passes through this hollow bead which is so shaped as to form a fixed connection between the cover and the hinge pin. The rear end wall of the bottom portion is outwardly bent so as to provide housings I6, I 6 for thehinge pin. These housings are so shaped as to provide fixed point connections between the hinge pin and the bottom portion of the box. These housings are so spaced that the downward extension of the rear wall of the cover portion will freely pass between the housings.

The top of the cover portion is spaced above the upper edge of the bottom portion of the box and the lugs of the cover as stated above rest on the upper edge. When the rear portion is pressed upon at the point I? in Figure 3, the hinge pin which is made of spring metal will yield downward, as shown in Figure 4. The lugs l0, it! will serve as fulcrums, and this will cause the front end of the cover portion to be released from its connection with the detent l2 and raised to the position shown in Figure 1-. From this position of the cover, it-can be readily moved to open position so that access to the tablets in the box may be had. When the cover is depressed the rod will move out of the pocket 14 to a certain extent, as shown in Figure 2.

When, however, the box is closed, this pocket serves as a housing for the sections of the hinge between the bead on the cover and the housings on the bottom portion.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A sheet metal tablet box comprising a bottom portion having side walls and front and rear end walls, a cover portion having depending side walls and front and rear end walls embracing said bead, said rear wall of the bottom portion being bent outwardly to form housings normally in alignment with the bead on the cover wall for the ends of the hinge pin, said housings being shaped so as to confine the ends of the hinge pin and spaced away from the bead on the cover wall so that the greater portion of the hinge pin'lies between the bead on the cover and the housings and is unconfined and free to bend readily when the rear side of the cover portion i is pressed upon and permit said rear portion of the cover to move downward, said side walls of the side and end walls of the bottom portion in closed position, and a hinged'connection between the rear walls of the cover portion and bottoma portion including a relatively short outwardly and inwardly rolled hollow bead at the lower margin of the central portion of the rear wall of the the cover portion having inwardly extending lugs adapted to engage the upper edges of the side walls of the bottom portion, said lugs being disposed so that a downward movement of the rear side of the cover will raise the front side of the cover to facilitate the opening of the box.

WILLIAM F. PUNTE.

cover; a yieldable hinge pin extending through 20 V 

